Wire-connector.



W. G. OADY.

WIRE CONNECTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 11,1913.

Patented A111121, 1914.

ill-lll /l Illlllllll y By'.

'WALTER G. CADY, 0F MJIDDLETOWN, CONNECTIIECUT.

WIRE-GNNECTOR.

nonsens,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2t, i914.

Application :tiled July 11, 1913. Serial No. 776,549.

,To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that i, WALTER G. CADY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Middletown, in the county of Middlesex and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWire-Connectors, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.,

My invention relates to new and improved wire-connectors, havingparticular reference to means for mechanically and electricallyconnecting two or'more wires through which electricity is transmitted.

it is the object of my invention, among other things, to provide such adevice that will quickly and securely connect two or more wires andallow of their being instantly disconnected, andto accomplish thisresult with mechanism that is simple in its operation, may beeconomically constructed and will be so safe-guarded by non-conductingmaterial as to prevent short circuiting and danger of injury to eitherperson or property that might be brought into contact therewith.,

To these, and other ends, my invention consists in the wire-connector,having certain details of construction, and combinations of parts, aswill be hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed. out in theclaims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals of reference designatelike parts in the several figures, Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved device complete; Fig. 2 isan end view thereof; Fig. 3 is asimilar view with the clamp plates separated; Fig. 4 isa sectional viewupon line t-B of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the movable clampplate.

lt is desirable that a wire-connector for coupling the ends of wires,through which electricitl is conducted, should primarily be of suchdesign and structure as to be safely used in all places, and under allconditions, and should thereforeI be so safe-guarded by non-,conductingmaterial as to permit the electrical current to pass through the wiresand connection without leakage or danger to 'contacting objects. Itshould also be possible to apply it quickly by an unskilled personwithout the aid of tools, and should, in addition thereto, alwaysmaintain av suiiciently rigid and constant connection between the wireends without liability of separation.

in my invention, as herein set fortln,` ll have attempted to accomplishthese, and other desirable results,- and in doing so have produced adevice, wherein there is a clamp comprising a fixed, plate and a movableplate, the whole being inclosed within an outer case of non-conductingmaterial, the movable plate being operated from the eX- terior of thecase through plugs of non-conducting material. Referring to thedrawings, the numeral designates a cylinder of fiber, hard rubber, orsimilar non-conducting material, and within which is a iXed plate 2 ofconducting material, secured by-a screw 3, said plate having contactfaces 4-4 at each end thereof, within which are the semi-cylindricalrecesses 5 5. Also mounted within said case is the movable plate 6 ofconducting material, having contact faces 7-7 at op- `posite endsthereof, within which are the recesses 8-8 .corresponding in positionand number with the said recesses 5--5. These recesses may, and inpractice generally do, vary in size to accommodate wires of differentdiameters. The movable plate v6 is held normally in contact with thefixed plate 2 byy a spring 9, and is held against endwise movement, `andmoved away from the plate 2, through the plugs 10, which are screwedinto the plate 6, and are surrounded by buttons 11--11 of fiber, hardrubber, or similar non-conducting materiahwhich buttons and plugsoperate loosely within openings l2 in the plate 2 and a correspondingopening through the case 1, all as substantially shown in Fig. 4. Aloose fitting of the plugs is conducive to ease of operation andpermits, a limited tilting of the plate 2 when only one plug. ispressed. To prevent dislodgment of the spring 9, lips 13, whichproject.-Y.

below the ends of the spring, are provided on each end of the plate 6.

in operation, the wires, broken lines 14, in Fig. 1, are held either inthe opening formed by the registerin of the recesses 5 and 8 in plates 2and 6, or etween the roughened contact faces 4 and 7 if too small forsaid recesses, their admission therevin being facilitated by moving theplate 6' designated by the away from plate 2 by pressure upon the butytons 11-11. The relative position of the plates 2 and 6, when the plate6 is moved through the buttons 11, is shown in Fig. 3. Thewire-connector, as above described is made of very few parts, and theseare arranged so as to be produced at the minimum cost, and can beassembled by unskilled labor and operated by any person of ordinaryintelligence, and' without the aid of a screw driver, or other tool, andwhen the ends of the wires are held between the plates, as aboveindicated, they are secured against accidental dislodgment, and theinclosing case' of non-conducting material, prevents a leakage of thecurrent and a consequent short circuit, as well as eliminates allpossibility of danger to any object that should come into contact withthe connector.

I have shown in the drawings the case 1 as cylindrical in form, and withaccommod ations for two wires at each end of the device, but the shapeof the case may be very materially altered or changed, and the number ofopenings for the wires in the ends thereof ma be increased if desired,and therefore, or these and other reasons, do

vnot limit ,myself to the exact construction shown and described,` butclaim all that falls fairly within the spirit and'scope of my inventionand the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is l .1. In a wire connector, the combination of acase of non-conducting material; companion plates within said caseprovided with oppositely disposed recesses in the meeting faces thereof;means for moving one of said plates toward the other and plugs connectedwith vone of said -plates and projecting throu h said case. 4

2. a wire-connector, the combination of an outer case of non-cpnductinmaterial; a xed plate; a movable plate, oth of tsaid plates being withinsaid case; a spring for normally moving said movable plate toward saidxed plate; and plugs connected with said movable plate and projectingthrough said case, the portion thereof exposed upon the outside of saidcase being covered with non-conducting material. A

3. In a wire connector, the combination of a hollow case ofnon-conducting material; vcompanion plates within said case, the ends ofwhich are accessible through the ends of said case, and are providedwith wire receivring means; a plug connected with one of said plates andpassing through the case, being operatively exposed upon the outside;and a spring contacting with one of said plates and the case fornormally moving one of said plates toward the other.

4. In a wire-connector, the combination with a case of non-conductingmaterial; companion plates within said case provided with opposltelydisposed recesses in the meeting faces thereof; a spring for normallymoving one of said plates toward the other; and plugs connected with oneof said plates and projecting through said case, the portion thereofexposed outside of the case being covered with non-conducting material.

5. In a wire-connector, the combination with a case of non-conductingmaterial; companion plates within said case, each having one flat faceprovided at both ends with wire'receiving means; a spring for normallymoving one of said plates toward the other; and plugs connected with oneof said plates and projecting through said case, the portion thereofexposed outside of the case being covered with non-conducting material.

In testimony whereof Iaix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- WALTER Gr. CADY. Witnesses:

THoMAs Hoors, Jr.,

LLOYD F. Hoors.

